Cyclo-valve for internal combustion engines

Abstract

Presented is a new rotary or cyclo-valve system for engines, such as internal combustion engines, that greatly simplifies the valve system for such engines. The cyclo-valve simply rotates to align its gas passageways with inlets to or outlets from engine cylinders in time with the combustion and exhaust cycles of the engine. The cyclo-valves themselves may be in the form of a rotary shaft, discs, or similar rotating elements. There are no valve lifters and no valve "float" at high engine rotational speeds as there are with state-of-the-art engines. Gas passageways, while preferred to be through the cyclo-valve, may also pass, at least partially, external to the cyclo-valve. In the preferred embodiment, sealing is at least partially accomplished by labyrinth seals. The instant invention cyclo-valve may be applied to all manner of engine including piston, rotary such as the Wankel, etc.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. In an improved engine requiring timed fuel injection and exhaust, the improvement comprising: an inlet cyclo-valve operating in timed sequence with a piston's position in a cylinder of said engine and an exhaust cyclo-valve operating in timed sequence with the piston's position in the cylinder of said engine whereby gas passage to and from said cylinder is, at least primarily, controlled by operation of said inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves, and wherein the gas passageway is at least partially venturi-shaped and passes through at least one of said cyclo-valves.   
     
     
       2. The improved engine of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of gas passage is around an outside of at least one of said cyclo-valves. 
     
     
       3. The improved engine of claim 1 wherein gas sealing of at least one of said cyclo-valves is at least partially accomplished by means of a labyrinth seal. 
     
     
       4. The improved engine of claim 1 wherein at least one of said cyclo-valves is at least partially a rotating disc. 
     
     
       5. The improved engine of claim 4 wherein said rotating disc includes a gas passageway. 
     
     
       6. The improved engine of claim 5 wherein said gas passageway is at least partially venturi-shaped. 
     
     
       7. In an improved engine requiring timed fuel injection and exhaust, the improvement comprising: inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves on a common rotational axis with operation of said inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves in timed sequence with a piston's position in a cylinder of said engine whereby gas passage to and from said cylinder is, at least primarily, controlled by operation of said inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves, and wherein the gas passageway is at least partially venturi-shaped and passes through at least one of said cyclo-valves.   
     
     
       8. The improved engine of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of gas passage is around an outside of at least one of said cyclo-valves. 
     
     
       9. The improved engine of claim 7 wherein at least one of said cyclo-valves is at least partially a rotating disc. 
     
     
       10. The improved engine of claim 9 wherein said rotating disc includes a gas passageway. 
     
     
       11. The improved engine of claim 10 wherein said gas passageway is at least partially venturi-shaped. 
     
     
       12. The improved engine of claim 7 wherein gas sealing of at least one of said cyclo-valves is at least partially accomplished by means of a labyrinth seal. 
     
     
       13. In an improved engine requiring timed fuel injection and exhaust, the improvement comprising: inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves with operation of said inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves in timed sequence with a firing cycle of said engine whereby gas passage to and from said engine is, at least primarily controlled by operation of said inlet and exhaust cyclo-valves, and wherein the gas passageway is at least partially venturi-shaped and passes through at least one of said cyclo-valves.   
     
     
       14. The improved engine of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of gas passage is around an outside of at least one of said cyclo-valves. 
     
     
       15. The improved engine of claim 13 wherein gas sealing of at least one of said cyclo-valves is at least partially accomplished by means of a labyrinth seal. 
     
     
       16. The improved engine of claim 13 wherein at least one of said cyclo-valves is at least partially a rotating disc. 
     
     
       17. The improved engine of claim 13 wherein said rotating disc includes a gas passageway. 
     
     
       18. The improved engine of claim 17 wherein said gas passageway is at least partially venturi-shaped.